How on-site screening technology is helping councils cut costs, reduce waste and support circular construction.
Australia’s construction and infrastructure sectors are under increasing pressure to reduce waste, lower emissions and make better use of recycled materials. For councils managing civil works, road maintenance and demolition projects, that challenge is becoming more visible on every job site.
From excavated soil and green waste to reclaimed asphalt pavement and construction debris, councils are dealing with growing material volumes while also balancing landfill costs, transport expenses and sustainability targets.
According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, construction and demolition waste accounted for 26.8 million tonnes of waste in Australia during 2022-23. While much of that material was recovered, millions of tonnes still ended up in landfill.
According to Sami Rahman at Walkers Hammers, councils have the opportunity to process and reuse more material directly at the source through the ALLU screening bucket range.
Designed to transform excavators and loaders into mobile processing units, the attachments allow operators to screen, crush, separate and reuse materials on-site rather than transporting them elsewhere for processing.
Reducing double handling
Traditionally, councils and contractors managing waste materials have relied on a combination of loaders, crushers, screeners and haulage trucks to remove and process material. That approach can create significant costs through transport, fuel use, labour and machine overlap.
The ALLU D-Series screening bucket aims to streamline that process by combining screening and material handling into a single attachment. Mounted directly to an excavator or wheel loader, the bucket enables operators to process material while loading or stockpiling it.
The result is fewer machines on-site, reduced double handling and less reliance on external recycling facilities.
For councils working in urban or constrained environments, the ability to process material where it is generated can also reduce truck movements and minimise disruption to surrounding communities.
The D-Series buckets are used across a wide range of council applications, including processing topsoil, compost, construction and demolition waste, contaminated soil, road base materials and green waste. By separating reusable material from oversized or unwanted contaminants, councils can recover more usable product from existing waste streams.
The technology also supports broader circular economy initiatives now emerging across Australia. Governments at all levels are increasingly encouraging or mandating the use of recycled materials in infrastructure delivery, particularly in transport and road projects.
Rather than sending excavated or demolished material off-site, councils can instead repurpose it into reusable fill, aggregates or road base products directly on the project.
According to Rahman, this not only reduces disposal costs, but can also create additional value through the reuse of recovered material.
A new approach to asphalt recycling
Asphalt remains one of the world’s most recycled construction materials, but processing reclaimed asphalt pavement efficiently can still present challenges for councils and contractors.
To address this, ALLU has developed a dedicated Asphalt Screening Bucket designed specifically for processing cold-milled asphalt and reclaimed asphalt pavement on-site.
The attachment combines crushing and screening functions in a single pass, allowing operators to break down clumps, separate oversized material and produce reusable asphalt product directly at the work site.
A key feature of the bucket is its hybrid blade configuration, which combines screening and crushing blades to improve efficiency and material consistency.
The system is designed to produce a high percentage of finished material below target size, reducing the need for reprocessing and minimising material waste.
For councils undertaking road rehabilitation and resurfacing works, the ability to process reclaimed asphalt on-site can significantly reduce transport costs and dependence on additional crushing equipment.
The Asphalt Screening Bucket is also suited to urban worksites, where space can be limited and minimising equipment footprints is important. By reducing the need for separate crushers and additional material handling, operators can complete recycling processes more efficiently.
Available in multiple sizes for excavators and wheel loaders, the buckets are engineered for high-throughput applications while maintaining mobility and ease of operation. Features including reinforced frames and serrated cutting edges are designed to withstand aggressive asphalt processing conditions.
One customer, Mick Howard from MHC Mining Services, said the technology had significantly improved material recovery outcomes on-site for Yarra Ranges Council.
“Over the past two weeks the bucket has reduced waste down to two per cent from 50 per cent resulting in 95-98 per cent finished product. This is an excellent saving for Council and MHC Mining Services and for the environment,” he said.
Supporting sustainable infrastructure delivery
As councils continue to deliver infrastructure upgrades and maintenance programs under increasing environmental scrutiny, technologies that improve resource recovery and reduce emissions are becoming more important across the sector.
On-site processing can contribute to sustainability goals in several ways, including reducing landfill volumes, lowering truck movements and decreasing fuel consumption associated with transporting material to and from recycling facilities.
Reducing reliance on virgin materials also plays an increasingly important role in helping councils meet recycled content targets and broader environmental objectives.
Importantly, the benefits are not limited to large-scale infrastructure projects. Screening buckets can also support smaller council works, including park upgrades, drainage works, road maintenance and waste management operations.
Because the attachments integrate directly with existing machinery fleets, councils and contractors can improve processing capability without investing in dedicated standalone crushing or screening plants.
For Rahman, the appeal of the ALLU range lies in its ability to improve both environmental and operational outcomes simultaneously.
By turning excavators and loaders into mobile processing systems, councils can recover more usable material, reduce handling costs and improve efficiency across a broad range of civil and infrastructure applications.
ALLU buckets are distributed in Australia via a dedicated dealer network.
To find out more, visit attachmentspecialists.com.au/allu
